This was a great photo from the Obamas’ barnstorming of Europe this week. I like this photo (found here) because of the contrasts on display: the Obamas are tall and youngish and have gorgeous smiles, but they absolutely tower over a timid and fragile-looking Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip.

12 Responses to “Gigantic Americans tower over shrunken British royal family!”

Y’know, I’ve seen this photo several times over the last few days, but this is the first time I’ve seen it uncropped–I had no idea Price Philip was even in the shot! There’s an interesting historical artifact for you, Historiann–in this case, no one apparently gives a shit about the old white guy.

I do hope I’m not detecting some form of nationalistic jeering here! The Obamas are young, athletic, handsome and riding on a wave of popular adoration. The Windsors have a combined age of 1,563; get most of their exercise through waving (in the Queen’s case) and finding Asian people to make ill-advised comments about (in Philip’s case); are fairly striking for products of centuries of in-breeding; and are regarded with a mixture of disdain, bemusement and outright hatred by the British public. Gordon and Sarah Brown would match up to the Yanks a little better — Gordon used to play rugby, after all!

@Mamie — Even if he’s standing far enough back from Pres. Obama that perspective is confusing Prince Phillip’s height, he’s standing almost right next to Mrs. Obama and looks shorter than her! I think he may actually be bending over slightly, sort of a “am I supposed to be getting into this picture” pose. One leg’s further forward than the other, like he’s walking/edging forward.

This was understood as far back as the Seven Years War. Those maize-eating colonials shot up like rockets, while their metropolitan cousins shriveled away like grasshoppers. George Washington in his ’40s could dominate a room, whereas his only slightly-older Revolutionary adversaries were already hunching over. I think F.J. Turner said something about this…